Fatty doesnât know the rules

Written By komlim puldel on Rabu, 09 Juli 2014 | 20.01

THIS is reassuring. Paul "Fatty" Vautin, after more than 20 years as a rugby league commentator with Channel 9, still doesn't know the rules.

Aidan Guerra crossed for what initially appeared to be Queensland's opening try in the first half of Wednesday night's State of Origin III.

The move started with a Cooper Cronk kick that was tapped back by a Queensland player. Johnathan Thurston then toed the ball into the in-goal, where Guerra put it down.

The decision was sent upstairs to the referee, who correctly ruled Thurston to be offside when Cronk put through the initial kick.

Johnathan Thurston (far right) is ruled to be offside, cancelling out an Aidan Guerra try for Queensland.Source: Channel 9

The no try was discussed during Channel 9's halftime Origin coverage – and Fatty was baffled.

Blues great Andrew Johns explained: "Thurston is in front of the 10-metre mark. Cooper Cronk kicks the ball a metre back, 11 metres out. So Johnathan Thurston is a metre in front him. It's a game of inches, Fatty."

Vautin responded: "So it goes forward and it's tapped back and they've got Johnathan Thurston for being offside.

"I would have thought that once the ball was tapped back it doesn't matter if he was offside. To me, I don't know, I thought it was play on.

"Do you know the rule? Is that the rule?

"That's a no try," Johns replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

"Are you serious? Turn it up," Vautin added.

To be fair to Fatty, the NRL has changed the rules that many times over the years that it can be difficult to keep up.

But still.

Aidan Guerra's effort is ruled "no try" after Johnathan Thurston was offside in the lead up.Source: News Corp Australia